The principle mark of genius is not perfection but originality, the opening of new frontiers. Arthur Koestler More Quotes by Arthur Koestler More Quotes From Arthur Koestler In the social equation, the value of a single life is nil; in the cosmic equation, it is infinite... Not only communism, but any political movement which implicitly relies on purely utilitarian ethics, must become a victim to the same fatal error. It is a fallacy as naïve as a mathematical teaser, and yet its consequences lead straight to Goya's Disasters, to the reign of the guillotine, the torture chambers of the Inquisition, or the cellars of the Lubianka. Arthur Koestler single-life errors political Some tribes [of monkeys] have taken to washing potatoes in the river before eating them, others have not. Sometimes migrating groups of potato-washers meet non-washers, and the two groups watch each other's strange behavior with apparent bewilderment. But unlike the inhabitants of Lilliput, who fought holy crusades over the question at which end to break the egg, the potato-washing monkeys do not go to war with the non-washers, because the poor creatures have no language which would enable them to declare washing a diving commandment and eating unwashed potatoes a deadly heresy. Arthur Koestler eggs taken war We cannot unthink unless we are insane. Arthur Koestler insane insanity thinking What is an editor but a cross between a fall guy and a father figure? arthur koestler Arthur Koestler family father fall Modern man lives isolated in his artificial environment, not because the artificial is evil as such, but because of his lack of comprehension of the forces which make it work- of the principles which relate his gadgets to the forces of nature, to the universal order. It is not central heating which makes his existence 'unnatural,' but his refusal to take an interest in the principles behind it. By being entirely dependent on science, yet closing his mind to it, he leads the life of an urban barbarian. Arthur Koestler evil men order History knows no scruples and no hesitation. Inert and unnering flows towards her goal. History knows herway. She makes no mistakes. Arthur Koestler flow goal mistake The jester is brother to the sage. Arthur Koestler jester sage brother The revolutions of thought which shape the basic outlook of an age are not disseminated through text-books- they spread like epidemics, through contamination by invisible agents and innocent germ carriers, by the most varied forms of contact, or simply by breathing the common air. Arthur Koestler epidemics air book The new frontiers to be conquered are mainly in the convolutions of the cortex. Arthur Koestler new-frontiers frontiers The more backwoodish a social group, juvenile or adult, the stricter its conception of the normal, and the readier it will ridicule any departure from it. Arthur Koestler groups adults society There is an abundance of ancient place names in the Ukraine and Poland, which derive from 'Khazar' or 'Zhid' (Jew). Arthur Koestler ukraine ancient names The cell door slammed behind Rubishov. Arthur Koestler cells doors book The temptations of God were always more dangerous for mankind than those of Satan. Arthur Koestler satan dangerous temptation ...the temptation, which consisted of a single word written on the cemetary of the defeated: Sleep. Arthur Koestler defeated temptation sleep If time is treated in modern physics as a dimension on a par with the dimensions of space, why should we a priori exclude the possibility that we are pulled as well as pushed along its axis? The future has, after all, as much or as little reality as the past, and there is nothing logically inconceivable in introducing, as a working hypothesis, an element of finality, supplementary to the element of causality, into our equations. It betrays a great lack of imagination to believe that the concept of "purpose" must necessarily be associated with some anthropomorphic deity. Arthur Koestler believe reality past War is a ritual, a deadly ritual, not the result of aggressive self-assertion, but of self-transcending identification. Without loyalty to tribe, church, flag or ideal, there would be no wars. Arthur Koestler loyalty self war History had a slow pulse; man counted in years, history in generations Arthur Koestler pulse men years Newton's apple and Cezanne's apple are discoveries more closely related than they seem. Arthur Koestler apples discovery science The 'gallows' are not only a symbol of death, but also a symbol of cruelty, terror and irreverence for life; the common denominator of primitive savagery, medieval fanaticism and modern totalitarianism. Arthur Koestler medieval irreverence common man has an irrepressible tendency to read meaning into the buzzing confusion of sights and sounds impinging on his senses; and where no agreed meaning can be found, he will provide it out of his own imagination. Arthur Koestler imagination sight men
